When Viral Is Off Brand

The Only 2022 Oscars Moment

I wanted to weigh in on the Oscars fracas, because I think it's an important lesson for marketing and advertising.

On a fast and obvious level, the moment seems like a win for everyone involved. An awards show with minimal buzz owned social media for a full cycle, with a ratings boost over last year's show, even during a time of war, plague and coming soon, famine. There's been a massive amount of speculation as to whether the confrontation was a "work", with slow-motion frame by frame analysis. 

This isn't a fast churn news cycle piece, or limited to just its lane. Today, I heard sports talk radio covering it, and my own children. That's two very different Venn diagrams right there.

If you are a believer of the axiom that any publicity is good publicity, this was a bonanza in earned media. So much that some have predicted this as a definitive playbook for future awards shows to have more unpredictable moments. Especially for ones with less conservative branding than the Oscars.

But from a long-term standpoint, it's hard to see how anyone involved benefits from the spectacle -- and the proof is coming from the number of apologies. Will Smith's brand, cultivated over decades, has been forever changed, with more than a little suspicion that he's not stable or what he projected. Chris Rock suffers less, but still has questions as to why he didn't step back to prevent the hit, or do more to respond to it. Jada Pinkett-Smith will likely catch some blowback, since Smith seemed to react well to the joke that triggered things before realizing his wife was not amused. Everyone in the room who stood to applaud Smith during his interminable awards acceptance speech later seems complicit as well. The fact that everyone involved seemed to go to an after-party later undermines any apology or damage control. Every other award winner was instantly forgotten in the aftermath.

If you want to tell the story that all of these people are hypocrites, phonies and devoid of any morals or decency, or you wanted to see a real-life "BoJack Horseman" episode, I guess you "won". But even then, what exactly did you win?

And that's just the short term damage.

In the long term, the movie industry, already in severe change and crisis from the pandemic and the switch to streaming, shows itself to be grasping, desperate and short-term. The home audience has to equate an art form that is capable of greatness to, well, reality television. 

The fact that everyone involved is a person of color gives comfort to people who should not be comfortable, and discomfort to minorities. It's just sadness and meanness for no payoff. Smith, Rock and Pinkett-Smith will not get a bigger payday from their next gig (well, OK, Rock might, because time and curiosity will create grist for future stand up bits).

So yes, short-term KPIs were achieved.

At the low, low cost of long-term branding, sales and revenue.

All publicity is good publicity?

Only if your product has worthless branding.